Corker top Republican on foreign relations

U.S. Senator Bob Corker will be the lead Republican or “ranking member” of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the 113th Congress.

Corker’s appointment was confirmed last week during a lunch meeting of Senate Republicans and is expected to be ratified when the Senate passes a resolution officially organizing committees in the coming days.

As ranking member, Corker will work with the chairman to represent the interests of his Republican colleagues and help carry out the legislative and oversight responsibilities of the committee.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Foreign Relations Committee on behalf of the minority, and as we enter this new Congress, it is my goal to see the committee play a more relevant role in international relations and be a place where we look at our national interests in the context of the longer view,” said Corker.

“I also look forward to working with the chairman and my colleagues on the committee to carefully review programs and practices at USAID and the State Department, which hasn’t been done in a comprehensive way in decades. This should include a top-to-bottom review of all foreign assistance programs and State Department authorities to ensure that they are being conducted in line with American strategic national interests.”

Corker has been a member of the Foreign Relations Committee since he entered the Senate in 2007. He has visited 48 different countries since taking office to understand the strategic relationships between the U.S. and other nations that are critical to the American economy and national security.

Established in 1816 as one of the original standing committees of the Senate, the Foreign Relations Committee has jurisdiction over legislation concerning the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, including foreign assistance, treaties, and declarations of war, among other matters. The committee is also responsible for oversight of the U.S. State Department and review of executive branch nominations that carry out U.S. diplomacy, including Secretary of State and U.S. ambassadorships.